


An Eternity With You

by MadeofLove14



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, First Love, Learn how to love, Lovey-Dovey, Salty pearl, maybe smut later, sickfic start
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-02 03:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5232014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadeofLove14/pseuds/MadeofLove14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first real human relationship Rose has ever been in and Greg's has never dated anybody like Rose before. Neither one knows what the heck they're doing. They both have a lot to learn about one another and it's going to take some time before they get it right. But they have plenty of time to learn. Together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

An unpleasantly thick fog had rolled in from the ocean, settling down crassly upon Beach City's inhabitants. The sky was bushy with bulky, black clouds and the smell of rain was prominent in the air. Every now and then the quilt of clouds would part and glints of moon would struggle to bring light to the dank gloom. The ocean glimmered a dim jade and the smell of musty seafood permeated the air. The usual band of tourist who came to the beach to surf or mingle with the locals late into the night, were nowhere to be seen.

Business had been slow today. Every radio and TV had been blasting the weather station since the shops had opened. A storm was coming, something drudged up by a dying tropical storm. There wasn't a news station on air that had an exact approximation of the severity of the storm.

Before Greg had needed to leave for work this morning, he had popped by the temple to ask Garnet about the weather. If the storm was going to be as bad as the radio said, than he would need to move the van somewhere safe. Garnet had told him that Beach City would be foggy and would be hit by random rainstorms, but nothing as horrible as the media was portraying. She had mysteriously told him to be careful though and to keep out of the rain.

Greg sat uncomfortably in the van, a bag of chips on his stomach and his limbs splayed out every which way. He had just gotten off of his part time job at the run down car shop-car wash. Even though most of the shops around time had closed a little early, the car shop-wash combo hadn't. A rundown car belonging to a single mother and her two kids had broken down around closing time. Greg couldn't just leave her there, so he had stayed until the old car was purring and they were on their way. Though he was still making music and selling some of his CDs around town, he had needed a steadier source of income if he wanted to eat. The car wash-mechanic shop had been the only place hiring in town that blasted music all day long-it was the best deal he could've asked for.

The work was pretty exhausting. He had always worked laborious jobs since fourteen, but this one demanded a lot of him. The car wash didn't have any equipment, everything was done by hand. The connecting mechanic shop, was just as devoid of helpful equipment as well. There were only two other employees and neither were as fit as Greg so he ended up doing most of the heavy lifting around there. He had to roll large barrels of soap, get on top of cars, crawl under cars, bring in deliveries of tires, nuts, bolts, engine replacement components, and carry the two twenty pound hoses up a ladder to the nozzle components set twenty-three feet above the ground. The weight he had started picking up from eating nothing but junk food during his tour, had melted off fast and left him broad with muscle. Sore, aching muscles and purple blotchy bruises and a new appetite that was killing his wallet.

It wasn't all bad though. The owners had seen him working last week, and had given him a raise. That little bit of money was worth it though. Worth the thick blisters on his palms, the scrapes and bruises he had gotten over the last few months. Because every night, when the gems didn't have a mission, he would get to see Rose. Rose would always greet him with a long kiss and hold him close to her. She didn't seem to mind the smell of car oil or the sharp scent of concentrated car wash liquid. Her powerful, earthy scent would wash over him and every kink in his body would unravel and relax.

Things had been going well between them. Since their talk after their failed attempt at fusion, Rose had been learning. Human romance was truly an alien concept to her and though she understood love; she needed help learning that love was more than just kisses and hugs. Greg was trying to teach her how to really 'talk' to him. They talked often, asking about one another's day. Greg would ask about the missions and hope Rose could answer them before Pearl butted in and Rose would ask dozens of questions, trying to understand Greg's feelings and thoughts.

"So, you weren't upset when the man yelled at you?" Rose had asked one night. It had been one of the nights that Greg hadn't been so exhausted that he hadn't fallen asleep in Rose's lap.

"Nah, that guy had three kids in the back, a pregnant wife who looked sick and his car suddenly breaks down. I'd rather he yelled at me than them." Greg had explained with a shrug, leaning into her. Her hair was so thick and soft, that it was almost like lying on a rose scented pillow.

Talking to her about people was easy. Rose loved humans and could talk about them all day if you let her. Talking about  _them_  though was…different. Rose had had many relationships with humans before. But none of them like the one she had with Greg. She looked to Greg to guide her into this foreign territory. And it wasn't like he minded, he was eager to prove to her that he was worth something and capable. He always felt as though he had to prove himself to her. There were times when he felt as though he was making himself into an even bigger fool. Rose was so much  _more_  than him. She had probably seen everything in his world worth seeing. Greg hadn't even gotten out of community college. And there wasn't a moment he wasn't being reminded of that either.

Pearl was always with Rose. Pearl had always been with Rose. She knew more about Rose than Greg could ever hope to learn in his entire human lifetime. Every gift, or song or date he had offered, Pearl always had something to say. He wasn't loaded, he couldn't afford to give her the things other humans in the past had. Not that Rose ever seemed to mind this fact. Anything he presented her, made her light up beautifully. It made Greg's heart soar to see her happy and then Pearl would lean in close and open her big fat mouth.

'She knew a king once upon a time. Gave her a garden of roses-not just any roses either. They grew three times as big as the dominant species that exists now.' Pearl would whisper in his ears, her unnatural breath cold on his skin. Or 'Rose once knew a man who would summon an entire orchestra to play for her."

Their hatred for one another had begun to get more and more personal-and unwillingly quieter. Rose had begun to catch on to Greg and Pearl's relationship. The snide comments, the arguments and the glares had become more subtle, but they hadn't stopped. The closer Greg to Rose, the harder Pearl pushed against him.

Pearl's comments did nothing to help his already faltering confidence. He loved Rose, more than he had loved anyone before. It frightened him sometimes how much he was beginning to adore her. There weren't words to describe how much he loved how she glided across the sand, the way she giggled, the way she held him when she kissed him, and the way she loved the world. He felt like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff, one wrong move and he would be hurtled mercilessly to a life where he lived without Rose. He knew he could probably survive it, if she ever chose to abandon him like the unknowing puppy Pearl explained he was. He would never be able to forget her though, her being forever burned into his heart. It hurt to think that he wouldn't even be a bump in her mind though, just a long forgotten phase.

These thoughts had been plaguing him for some time, never really at the forefront of his mind until he settled down after a long day of work. Whenever he thought about it, his heart would start stuttering uncomfortably in chest and his hair got all sweaty. He also got hungry, which is why two chip bags were behind his head and the current one on his stomach was half way full.

He idly grabbed a fist full and shoved them into his mouth. He had always been a bit of a nervous eater, but being with Rose had increased his snacking nearly double. With his job burning all his calories and his worse eating habit, if he wasn't careful he was gonna start looking like his old man.

Greg sat up with a huff, wiping the scratchy crumbs off his face. He hated this. Usually when he started thinking like this, he could just go find Rose or Amethyst or Vidalia-their company much better than that of a pizza. But the gems were on a mission and Vidalia had been busy for the past few weeks with… stuff she didn't want to talk about. Probably Marty stuff.

He tossed the now empty chip bag into the van with a huff and slid out into the lot of the storage garage. The owner didn't mind him parking his van there since he had rented out a space. He didn't really have a real place to live other than the van at this point. Sometimes Vidalia let him stay in the cot in her parents' garage, which was softer than the worn down futon he had. Sleeping on top of  _Pearl_  would be better than sleeping on his futon. In a few more weeks he would be able to get another mattress, something that didn't feel like sleeping on a rock.

Even though he was tired and achy, he stood up and slammed the back doors of the van with all his strength. He would walk around, wake his brain up. Hopefully Rose would be back from her mission tomorrow and she wouldn't mind him resting in her lap after work. He loved the way her fingers combed his hair while he slept.

All the worries that burdened him throughout the day, melted away when Rose held him close.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst goes and finds Greg

Amethyst sat in the cave, pacing around on all fours, waiting for Music Man to get there. Their mission had ended only a few hours ago-much longer than both Garnet and Rose had anticipated. Rose had been slightly frantic when she realized the time and had rushed them back to the temple as soon as the monster had been bubbled. Rose had said she needed to handle something and had rushed into her room, trying to finish 'whatever' before Greg was expected to arrive. Pearl had assured Amethyst it was probably something very important, but Amethyst had the sneaking suspicion Rose just wanted to fix her frayed hair and dirty skin.

After Greg got off his 'job' thingy, at around this time now, he would usually come running to the temple, laden with gifts. Flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, or candy. The candy was mostly for Amethyst-though Garnet did like some of the spicier kinds and would eat some now and again. Amethyst had recently discovered her most favorite candy: black licorice; next to caramel it was the messiest candy she ever tried. Greg had promised Amethyst that he would bring her more black licorice as soon he got paid.

Since Rose often spent her free nights with Greg, Amethyst had more opportunities to mess with Pearl. Usually, on nights when Amethyst got restless and 'impish' (as Pearl liked to call it), Pearl would be glued to Rose's side-an impossible target. Now, Rose would disappear for hours with Greg or  _Greg_  would be glued to Rose's hip. Greg had started giving Amethyst candy and food innocently at first, but had recently supplied her with stickier, messier candy. Amethyst especially loved smearing the candy all over face and chasing Pearl around the temple. Garnet wasn't in to games like that, so it was nice to have a partner in crime. Amethyst had been so excited during the mission today that Rose had taken to carrying Amethyst in her arms when they weren't fighting.

"Little one you sure are jumpy today, aren't you." Rose had kissed Amethyst's cheeks and mussed up her hair.

"Music Man's gonna bring me candy." Amethyst sung, sticking her tongue out at Pearl as Rose rested Amethyst on her chest.

" _I_ will be in my room then." Pearl had hissed. She had noticed that every time Mr. Universe brought Amethyst candy,  _she_  had somehow ended up covered in it.

Amethyst loved Pearl's face whenever whatever sticky glob of candy landed on her or her things. Amethyst  _had_  planned on taking a few of Pearl's swords and lathering them in licorice juice, planting them obviously in her messy room. Somewhere that would require Pearl to wade through the worst of her mess. Pearl would go to grab her stuff and have a hand covered in black goo. It would be perfect-she would take that little camera Greg had bought and have a few new photos to laugh over with her new friend Vidalia.

That is if Greg could get here with the licorice. Amethyst gave a hearty sigh before padding out into the sand. She didn't see him or his van anywhere-he was totally late. Which was kinda weird cause when it came to Rose, Greg was never late. Amethyst sunk into the sand and jumped powerfully into the air, shapeshifting into an owl. She soared through Beach City, rolling through the air with ease, ignorant of the humid pressing force of the dying storm. She located the storage unit easily in the misty dark.

She landed lightly on the roof of Greg's van, she shook the water pooled there off her claws before shifting back into her human body. She banged her fist into the roof.

"Music Man!" She yelled, crawling to the back of the van and peeking through the foggy windows. The lantern Greg owned was off and she could barely see a dark shape huddled in on itself. "Hey, you know it's time to go see Rose like normal. And bring me my candy like you promised."

She heard a muffled groan and then some quiet shuffling. Something heavy bumped into the side of the van, rocking it slightly and she heard another pained groan. A lumpy shadow sat up and crawled toward the back doors. Amethyst jumped onto the wet pavement and waited. There was a quiet click as the doors were unlocked and one of the doors slowly creaked open.

"Amethyst?" Greg whispered, his voice hoarse and low. He had slumped back down after he had weakly pushed the door open. Amethyst leaned in, pressing her face against the closed door and peeking in through the crack. It was dark, stuffy and warm. A penetrating scent of sweat permeated the van's air and if Amethyst wasn't Amethyst she might have gagged.

"Uh…are you okay? You look kinda…weird."

Greg's bleak skin rivaled Pearl's paleness, the only color on his face was under his eyes and his cheeks. He was breathing, but it sounded wheezy and gunky. He was sweaty and his hair was tangled up-surprisingly put up into a ponytail. He shook slightly, his red eyes struggling to focus on her.

"M'fine." Greg grumbled, sounding like he had a wad of peanut butter stuck in his throat.

"And your hair is up." Amethyst muttered, ignoring him. She messed her own hair up in a similar fashion to Greg's newest do. "You hate putting your hair up."

"Oh…um I got hot. The sun came out for a bit earlier and it got really warm. I guess I was kinda out of it, I don't remember... touching my hair." Greg stuttered, shuddering as a breeze slipped in. "You want to come in? It's uh…cold out there."

Amethyst crawled in and closed the door for Greg. The van was surprisingly clean, only a few crumpled chip bags on the floor. There was a wet grocery bag in the corner, but no evidence of any other meal anywhere to be seen. Greg's futon sat hunched near the front seat, limp as it sagged in on itself. Greg was wrapped in his only blanket, he kind of looked like a caterpillar.

"Dude, you look gross." Amethyst flinched as Greg coughed into the blanket. "Your nose is leaking junk…can I touch it?"

"No!" Greg rubbed his nose and turned away from Amethyst's approaching hand. "We talked about the touching thing."

"Rose touches you. You let her touch you all over." Amethyst grumbled, she pulled at the damp blanket he was wrapped in. "She's supposed to be touching you about now actually, how come you're late?"

"Late? Now? Wait, what time is it?" Greg sat up, letting Amethyst yank the blanket away from his sweaty skin. A hard shiver wracked his frame as he scrambled to find his digital watch in the dark.

"Night time dude." Amethyst grunted with a shrug, pulling more and more of the blanket off. The blanket slid off easily now that Greg wasn't actively holding on to it. "How come you're only wearing underwear?"

"What?" Greg looked down and squeaked, he began to tug at the blanket. "Give it back Amethyst!"

"Nice undies Greg. I knew you liked pink things, but…"

"I didn't know that you weren't supposed to wash red with white alright!" Greg groaned. "I suck at laundry, give me a break. Can I have my blanket back,  _please_?"

"I thought you said you were hot?" Amethyst asked, releasing the blanket right as Greg pulled with all his might. Greg groaned as his back hit the metal of the van's wall.

"I got cold, whatever." Greg grunted, wrapping himself in the blanket and digging through a pile of clothes in the front seat. "Shoot! Um…your licorice is in the bag over there."

Amethyst grabbed at it and lazily began to eat some while watching Greg get dressed. Greg was a bit wobbly, putting his shirt on inside out and then backwards before getting it right. He had grabbed his infamous pair of jeans, but after trying to stand up, he opted for swim shorts. He undid his hair and grabbed one of his combs and tried to detangle it.

"Did you go to your work lookin' like that?" Amethyst asked, fiddling with her own hair enviously. She had left the lantern off because something about 'modesty', whatever that was (Greg had been trying to teach her  _why_  she couldn't take people's clothes off without their permission), but now that he was fuly clothed she flicked it on.

"No, uh…I didn't go to work today actually." Greg stuttered with a flinch, rubbing his eyes with a groan. "Mrs. Carson saw me and she told me to go back home. I guess I've been asleep since noon."

"You sure don't look like you've been asleep all day." Amethyst muttered, getting a better look in the blue light. She had thought that the eerie yellow streetlights had exaggerated the sickly color of his skin, but nope he looked straight horrible. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week.

"Oh, excuuuuse me Little Miss Detective!" Greg moaned, rubbing at his burning cheeks. "So I'm not up to 100%, give me a break."

"If Pearl sees you before Rose does, she may cover you in that smelly blue stuff-."

"Soap." Greg snuffled. "It's called soap, Amethyst."

"That soap stuff, yeah. Even then, she may make you wear a mask-she has tons of those. Pearl does not like snot. Which your face is covered in-which I might also add you should let me touch by the way."

"What is with you and touching nasty stuff?" Greg chuckled weakly before slumping against the seats. He grabbed a shirt from the pile and rubbed his face in it. "So Pearl would freak out and tell Rose?"

"You look like you got hit by a car, even if Pearl didn't tell Rose, Rose isn't stupid." Amethyst said, offering a licorice stick. Food always made humans perk up. Greg shook his head and swallowed thickly.

"I'm not hungry." Greg whispered, he closed his eyes with a raspy sigh.

"You're not dying, right?" Amethyst asked. Rose wouldn't be happy if Amethyst had sat around eating licorice while Greg had been dying. Well…Pearl might.

"It's just a fever." Greg rolled his eyes. "I got caught in the rain last night."

Amethyst nodded, shoving a handful of licorice into her mouth. Pearl had recently taken to dissecting every single fault of the human race-especially Greg (when Rose wasn't around of course). Amethyst was the only one Pearl could really rant to, so Amethyst had been learning a slew of information. One of the facts had been human's general weakness and feebleness. They could get sick if they ate bad stuff, or got too cold or too hot, or apparently if they got rained on.

"I don't want Rose to see me like this." Greg moaned, folding into himself, resting his head in his knees.

"Yeah, you do look pretty gross."

"Thanks, Amethyst."

"No prob dude."

Greg sighed heavily, lifting his head to glare blearily at her. "We really need to work on your understanding of sarcasm."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's probably moving a little slow, but Greg and Rose confrontation is coming. I promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl goes looking for Amethyst

Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Thirteen?

There was currently only thirteen swords in her pre-Colonial collection that she had summoned from her fountain, which was strange because she knew this set to have fifteen. She hadn't moved any of them in recent weeks, she had been practicing with her katana set. So she wasn't sure where she had placed the missing two. She may have stored them in her gem, but she would've remembered that.

Pearl closed her eyes and mentally searched through her extensive catalog of stored items. Her pocket dimension was extremely organized, so it didn't take her long to find that she had been correct in her statement, that she in fact hadn't stored those swords. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Rose may have borrowed them, but she usually asked about these things. Garnet had no interest in swords, she liked the directness of punching more than swordplay. The most likely suspect was Amethyst, the tiny troublemaker had probably stashed them somewhere in her room. Again.

Amethyst had always been messing with Pearl's things from the moment they had first met her. Pearl's hair, her swords, her shoes (Who even tries to eat shoes? Especially when they're on someone's feet!). Everything that came into Amethyst's possession - stolen or gifted, ended up in that dump which she called a room. Pearl fondly remembered how clean and beautiful Amethyst's room had been when it had first been made, but now it was covered in several millennia worth of trash.

There was no way, she was going to rummage through that dump of a room. The last time she had done that, despite her vigorous cleaning, she had smelled of wet dog and moldy mustard for several days, not to mention the melted caramel she had gotten in her hair. She would simply have to find Amethyst and ask that she return them immediately. That usually never worked, but it was worth a try.

Pearl stepped out of the temple tensely. This was around the time that Greg usually came and 'hung out' with Rose. He had been exhausted from his recently acquired job and Rose would let him rest in her lap. She would comb his hair with her fingers and when he fell asleep and went limp in her lap, she would kiss his eyelids tenderly. Pearl couldn't stand it. Pearl had witnessed Rose's affection towards the many humans she had participated with in relationships, but she had never seen Rose do it with so…much…warmth.

It made Pearl feel like crying and hitting something with all her might while tearing her hair out. She didn't know what to do when he was around. Everything in her basic programming demanded that she be courteous to any acquaintance of her master (even if Rose said that she wasn't Pearl's master). But that spark, that aching thing that easily separated her from every perfect Pearl produced - her defect; made it so difficult to accept. She didn't want Rose to love Greg, she didn't want to smile and bow like a good little Pearl should do and she hated that she couldn't just be happy for Rose. All Pearl had ever wanted was for Rose's happiness and now Rose was happy and Pearl was miserable.

But thankfully  _Mr._   _Universe_  was not there. Rose was, but there was no Greg in sight. Rose turned around at the sound of the temple door and smiled brightly. Pearl felt her middle drop into her feet and then her entire person warmed over. Rose had been a little worn after their mission, having received the brunt of damage from the monster they had been after. Pearl had been worried, her hands flapping uselessly over Rose's slightly ragged form - nothing that would require her to reform, but still painful nonetheless. But Rose looked ragged no longer, her skin supple and pale in the dim moonlight and her hair shiny and clean. Gorgeous without even trying. If Pearl had had a heart in her empty chest, it would be skipping all the way to Beach City and back.

"Hi, Pearl."

"Rose." Pearl said with a blush, walking until she was a few feet away. How did Rose make those two words sound so wonderful? She stood uncomfortably above Rose, not wanting to sit and forget about the task at hand. And she  _would_  forget if she sat down, Rose had that way about her; of clearing your mind and leaving you peacefully dazed. "Is everything all right? Where is Greg? He's late."

"He is, isn't he? Garnet told me Amethyst was getting him though. So I guess he probably fell asleep. He's been working really hard lately." Rose sighed, blowing her bangs from her eyes with a huff. She placed her round face into her strong, soft palm. "I didn't know humans had to work so hard for food in this day and age. Perhaps I should-."

Rose paused, sitting up and looking into the misty distance. A small, dark violet blur raced toward them, a spray of gray sand following in its midst. Amethyst raced towards them on all fours, something hanging from her mouth. She skidded to a stop in front of the temple, getting sand and grit on both Rose and Pearl. Amethyst collapsed on to her belly, needlessly panting.

"Hello Amethyst." Rose said pleasantly, patting the dirt off her skirt.

"Sup." Amethyst replied, spitting the bag out of her mouth.

"Must you use that indecorous language?" Pearl hissed, shaking her leg warmers of sand.

"Whatever P. Embrace the culture." Amethyst rolled her eyes, crawling easily into Rose's arms.

"I thought you were going to go wake up Gregory?" Pearl glared, crossing her arms.

"Uh…he's disposed."

"I think you mean indisposed."

" _WHAT_ ever, Pearly." Amethyst snapped then turned to Rose and said calmly. "He's what she said."

Rose sighed quietly, letting her bangs fall over her eyes. Pearl knew that sigh. That was a rare sigh of disappointment. Rose was a very expressive gem. When she was happy, the world blossomed. Her anger tempered gem beasts and her sadness healed the broken. In all of her lifetime, Pearl had known Rose to be enthusiastically emotionally about everything (except the war). The gems, the humans, or the horrible music Greg produced - all met with real, unashamed emotion. Then Greg had waltzed into their world and Rose had become…nervous and restrained. When Pearl had asked about it, truly worried for Rose, Rose had explained that she didn't really have an answer.

"I don't know Pearl. It's so...so very strange. I don't think I've been this nervous since officially initiating the war against Homeworld." Rose had weakly chuckled, her arms soft around Pearl's thin middle in a hug. "I'm anxious Pearl. What if he doesn't want to continue this? He's so human and I'm so…not. They always end up leaving, but I  _really_ don't want Greg to leave."

Rose rarely doubted herself and Pearl hated the stress that Greg was causing her leader. How dare he skip out on their nightly session? Indisposed? With what exactly, the man didn't have anything else to do. Except sleep and eat and be noisy.

"May I ask what he's indisposed with?" Pearl sneered.

"Um…with stuff, you know." Amethyst shrugged, looking away from Pearl's intense glare. Amethyst grimaced, Pearl was not letting this go as easily as Amethyst had hoped.

"If he's so indisposed, how did he acquire your candy?" Pearl asked, only inching closer.

"I don't know P. I didn't ask." Amethyst muttered.

"Amethyst," Rose whispered softly, her rose scented breath brushing against Amethyst's sandy cheeks. Amethyst froze, turning her gaze to the dark ocean quickly. "Is something wrong with Greg?"

Amethyst looked down to her lap, messing with the cheap plastic bag filled with her candy - it had seemed so appealing earlier.

Amethyst was an excellent deceiver. She could be guilty of a number of small crimes and shift her entire character to match that of someone innocent. Her size and undeveloped fighting skills should've meant she should've been shattered not long after her birth in the kindergarten, but this skill had been her true strength. Hiding things was her specialty. Hiding things from Rose though…that never ended well.

"He…he didn't want me to tell you." Amethyst murmured, feeling bad outing her new friend. Greg probably wouldn't buy her food let alone want to hang out with her anymore.

"Why not, little one?" Rose pressed her cheek against Amethyst's. Amethyst squirmed uncomfortably, torn between telling Rose and keeping quiet for Greg.

"Why doesn't he wish to see Rose?" Pearl asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her long foot.

"Did I do something wrong?" Rose asked, aching sadness heavy in each word. Amethyst groaned aloud, slapping her palms to her face. Rose pried Amethyst's stubby fingers from her face and kissed each of her hands - Rose didn't approve of Amethyst hurting herself.

"He wants to see you." Amethyst said. "He does, but just not right now."

" _That_ ," Pearl scoffed. "Does not make any sense. If I had the opportunity to see Rose, regardless I would take it."

"Yeah,  _youuuuu_ would, wouldn't you?" Amethyst sniggered. Pearl blushed and looked as though she was about to reprimand Amethyst all the way back to the Kindergarten when Rose spoke.

"Is he tired? From the work? I didn't mind him falling asleep on my lap. Oh, do you think he thinks I was upset by that?" Rose worried, her eyes downcast.

"Amethyst just tell us what's wrong with the boy?" Pearl gasped, finally exasperated. Rose was looking more and more apprehensive, her mask cracking.

"I can't tell you!"

"And why exactly is that?"

"He gave me extra candy, if I promised I wouldn't tell you." Amethyst snapped, holding the bag closer to her body.

"You're betraying Rose's trust for human  _food_?"

"I AM NOT BETRAYING HER TRUST!"

Rose easily held Amethyst back from launching herself at Pearl. Both gems' teeth were angrily bared and a few more words and Rose would have a full scale battle on her hands. Rose hated when they fought, she had seen enough fighting amongst gems to last her a lifetime.

"Pearl, please calm down. You too, Amethyst. There's no need to yell." Rose said, placing her hand on both Pearl's and Amethyst's shoulders. "Amethyst, I know Greg trusted you not to tell me and that you don't want to jeopardize your friendship. But this is important, if something is wrong with Greg, I  _need_  to know."

Amethyst looked at Rose rather reluctantly. Rose's eyes said it all. Big, dark and begging. Rose's lip pouted slightly, a minor tremor running through it. She blinked and her thick eyelashes framed her shiny eyes. It was the most desperate Amethyst had ever seen Rose outside of battle.

Rose would cry, it looked like she might right now. Sure Rose cried a lot, people's pain was her pain. Rose thought something was really wrong with Greg and if Amethyst didn't fess up then if Rose's tears didn't kill her - Pearl surely would.

Amethyst felt her insides freeze and she swallowed heavily. Keep Greg's secret and further their new friendship or tell Rose and relieve her pain. She didn't want to lose Greg-hanging out with him and Vidalia these past few months had been her first real experience with humanity without a constant, caustic comment from Pearl. They didn't judge her when she ate, or slept, or acted generally like a human child; she wasn't a gem to them, just a friend. If she lost them, she didn't know what she would do.

But upsetting Rose, lying to Rose or hiding anything from Rose wasn't something Amethyst was physically capable of. Rose always had a way of  _knowing_ , and she knew now. Rose had given her everything and she was the only gem who didn't mind Amethyst's wild, immature tendencies.

She didn't know what to do…no she did. She knew what she  _should_ do or rather what she  _had_ to do, but it meant hurting someone she cared about.

Amethyst just hoped that that forgiveness thing everybody always talked about was real, because she was gonna need a heck of a lot of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet can't drive.

Greg was in a drug store, shuffling through the freezing aisles, looking for medicine. The artificial light was painfully bright and tinted the few aisles a florescent green. His sandals squeaked loudly on the freshly mopped floor, a powerful scent of lemon-scented cleaner heavy in the air. His nostrils burned as he sniffled and he rubbed his runny nose without shame as he ducked down in an aisle. He was thankfully alone, the only other person being the elderly clerk at the counter. She was a tiny thing, hunched over with fuzzy blue hair and thick bifocals, she didn't seem to mind his constant snuffling and snorting.

After he had given Amethyst all the candy he had in the van to keep her quiet, he had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he was ill. He knew it was bad that he went one moment from cold to hot. When he pressed his sweaty hand against his damp forehead, he couldn't tell how bad it was. If he looked as terrible as he felt though, he was guessing it was pretty bad. He had driven here, somehow not crashing and only swerving a little between the dotted yellow lines. He was pretty sure he'd parked on the curb as well - thankfully out of sight of the clerk.

He shrugged his only jacket even tighter around him. The thin material had survived many winters, but was painfully worn down to a light, scratchy useless material. The little green basket he'd picked up at the door shook in his palm as he shivered. He quickly grabbed several bottles of brightly colored syrup, a cheap thermometer, and a box of tissues. He rushed to the counter, bouncing on his heels in his thin tennis shoes. The frosty aisles had begun to swelter and through a film of tears in his eyes, he could've sworn the walls were melting. The clerk gave him a sympathetic look, telling him that the flu was going around town and that he should get plenty of rest and fluids. Before he hopped in the van, he stopped at the vending machine outside and shakily inserted quarters to get a couple bottles of tea and water.

As soon as he got into the van, he hurriedly stripped his jacket and his shirt. He was burning again, sweating up a storm. So maybe this wasn't just a little cold from the rain like he had hoped. He had heard from Vidalia that her mother had gotten the flu, but he hadn't heard of anybody else getting sick. He ripped the cheap plastic package from the thermometer, rubbing his blurry eyes as he tried to read the instructions.

He waited tiredly for the beep, dozing off as he waited. A sharp _BEEP_ sounded through the van and Greg accidently honked the horn as he flinched awake. He squinted and groaned. The tiny plastic display said: 103.2. He wasn't a doctor, but he was pretty sure that was not good.

He started up the van, fully intending on driving back to the storage garage. He was about to shift in to 'Drive' when a tiny tap from his left made him start. He was expecting a cop - how many police officers had he run into before settling down here in Beach City? He was young guy with long hair and earrings - his entire person kind of screamed reckless teenager. He had stumbled out of the drug store with a brown paper bag, any cop would guess him drunk off his butt.

But it wasn't a cop. It was…Garnet?

He rolled down the window and tried to smile despite his headache. "Garnet, what are you doing here?"

The drugstore was a little ways from town, not too far for Greg, but very far for Garnet. The gems didn't typically wander very from Beach City unless it was for a mission. Even then, if they could avoid interacting with humans they did. Except Amethyst, she loved coming into town. Or Rose, who loved to be on the beach or watch children play.

"You shouldn't drive tonight." Garnet said smoothly, resting her arms on the van's window. Her impressive afro blocked the incandescent, flickering lights of the neon drug store sign.

"I-I shouldn't?" Greg asked, feeling his headache start to pound a new beat behind his eyes. She was being mysterious again and he didn't really feel like figuring out what she was talking about. Even when he didn't feel like crap, he never could figure out what the heck she was talking about.

"Nope. You'll crash your van and put yourself in that smelly, white building."

"The hospital?"

"Yes, that place. Rose will cry, Pearl will annoy the doctors, Amethyst will eat one of the bags they hang with medicine - it'll make her sick." Garnet explained. "Rose won't want to leave you alone again - which will only make Pearl more jealous and she'll glare at you night and day. Amethyst will be horrible, seeing as it that you'll become her new immobile plaything."

"So, I should probably shouldn't drive tonight, huh?" Greg asked with a sigh, his shoulders sagging.

"Would be in all our best interests, I suppose."

"Thanks Garnet." Greg was about to pull the key out of the ignition, resigned to the fact that he was probably about to sleep in the parking lot of a drugstore when Garnet's long arm reached in and stopped him.

"I'll drive you."

"You can drive?"

"We learn fast."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose doesn't take "no" for an answer.

"Amethyst, he's not going to yell at you, I promise." Rose tried to assure her, trying to get Amethyst to come down from the storage garage's roof. Amethyst had firmly wedged herself on top of it as soon as they arrived and refused to speak to Rose or Pearl. Rose could just barely see her tiny form shrouded in the hazy darkness.

Amethyst had unwillingly fessed. Rose had been worried, worried enough to go bother Garnet to see if she could find him. Garnet had promised to go get Greg and that she would meet them here, at the storage garage. Rose had dragged Pearl with her, needing someone to hold when her mind began to race painfully.

Why hadn't Greg not come to her when he found out he was ill? She knew her healing tears were most effective with actual wounds, but she knew a lot about human anatomy. She had lived through the worst of humanity-seeing the rise and fall of plenty of illnesses and diseases. Pearl was basically an encyclopedia and had recorded countless of Rose's interactions with sick humans.

Humans were vulnerable creatures. Even the most subtle of changes in the Earth's environments had powerful, negative affects against humanity's general health.

Did he not trust her? Humans beings liked being taken care of-she had seen it amongst her countless human companions. They all had pined for her attention; whining and exaggerating. She of course hadn't minded, healing was something she had been doing for countless millennium. She liked healing, she loved to aid others with their struggles. Greg knew this about her, so why hadn't he come to her?

Had she done something wrong…again? She had been working hard to understand more about love-human's love was more than just romantic gestures and sayings. Love was more than kisses, hugs, songs, or flowers-but little subtle things that built into something much more. Greg had said, she would know it when she really felt it.

Was it painful? Did it make your eyes water and your chest sink into your feet? Did it make your gem ache and your temple pulse with stress? She couldn't know for sure-it all felt as though she was back on the war field. Thousands of beings counting on her to lead them to a victory that might not come.

"Rose, you're squeezing me too hard." Pearl whispered, almost a squeak.

Rose snapped her arms away quickly, her usual pale skin a sour yellow under the flickering light of the storage garage.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, resting her head on Pearl's soft hair.

"There's no need!" Pearl yelped, her lithe fingers flitted nervously. "It was an accident. Perhaps you should rest at the temple. You were injured earl-."

"I want to see Greg." Rose said. "If he really is ill, then I need to help."

"I thought your dumb tears only worked on gems and junk." Amethyst mumbled, peeking from her cruddy hiding spot. She refused to look at either Pearl or Rose, but glared viciously at the murky sea.

"Amethys-!"

"It's fine Pearl." Rose whispered. "Amethyst, my tears can heal gems. They can also help aid humans with discomfort and pain. In small amounts, they can heal wounds and fix minor ailments or… _junk_."

"But if he really is sick with just a cold, then what can you do? You've never used your tears like this before." Pearl peeped from Rose's lap.

"If those methods don't work, then we can try human methods." Rose said, looking nonplussed and if anything more determined. "I want him to get better and he can't do that alone."

"Humans have been doing that since before we got here." Pearl whispered nearly silent.

"Greg said he knew what he was doing." Amethyst muttered, wiping her purple skin against the grimy crust of the roof. She stared at for a moment before shrugging and licking it. Pearl grimaced and turned away. "He said he didn't want you to see him all gross."

"Well, he can't look _that_ bad. I've seen the bubonic plague for goodness sakes." Rose pouted, her mind effortlessly summoning the thousands of images stored away in her intelligent expanse of limitless awareness. She didn't need to imagine, she knew most of everything when it came to human disease.

"Perhaps he has caught some horrible new strain of the rhinovirus." Pearl muttered, thoughtfully rubbing her chin.

"I'd bet you like that." Amethyst grumbled, her voice overwhelmed by the distant drum of thunder.

"What was that Amethyst?" Pearl snapped.

"Oh, nothing."

"Rose, she's saying spiteful things again."

"Why don't you come up here and fight me then! Make me stop, huh?"

"Well maybe I wil-."

"Stop it you two." Rose demanded, her voice stern but soft. "Fighting isn't going to help anybody. I wish you two would be kinder to one another. I know sometimes you get on each other's nerves, but what are you two going to do when I'm not around one day, rip each other a part?"

'Sorry' and 'I'm sorry too' rose rather reluctantly into the frigid air. Rose was about to once again attempt to call Amethyst down when a horrifying screech split the eerily quiet night.

From the slick streets, they all watched in fascination as the van hurtled past the initial entrance of the garage before slamming on the brakes with an angry squeal. They could hear muffled shouting from inside and then the dim headlights blinked red and the van tore backwards before spinning in a small circle. The vans screeched as it slid into the storage garage's lot, two wheels still spinning above the ground before slamming heavily back into the damp asphalt. The van gave a barking cough before sagging onto its metal haunches.

Greg threw open the door before sliding out with an exasperated groan. His long hair was wild and stuck to his sweaty, pale puce skin. He coughed once before launching himself onto his unstable feet and running into the scraggly bushes with a hand over his mouth.

Garnet stepped out of the van with a smile on her face. "I don't know why I haven't taken to driving earlier."

"Whoa, he let you drive the van?" Amethyst asked, leaping down from the building and pawing at Garnet's leg. "He wouldn't even let Pearl drive-even if she asked."

" _I_ wouldn't want to drive that thing anyway." Pearl huffed, standing from Rose's lap and crossing her arms haughtily.

"Garnet, I didn't know you could drive?" Rose said, also standing. She hesitantly approached the van, eyeing the bushes where Greg had vanished.

"I can _now_."

"Excellent Garnet. I told you'd like it." Pearl praised.

Rose hesitantly approached Greg, hearing a rather gruesome gag. He was on his hands and knees, his limbs shaking with the effort of supporting his weight. She bent down and gently lifted his hair from his face, bundling it in her hand. She patted his back, quietly muttering comforting words with every heave. When he finished, he nearly fell over. Rose lifted him into her arms and headed back toward the van.

"Where did you find him?" Rose asked, opening the van's door and setting Greg down. "Amethyst do you mind getting his mattress."

"I…can get my own mattress." Greg mumbled, sitting up drowsily. He rolled over halfheartedly, half-way to his mattress he stopped and began to snore.

"Dude's out." Amethyst whooped quietly, crawling into the van and poking Greg's face.

"Umnaou." Greg groaned, sitting up again with a massive yawn.

"What's wrong with him? He's acting stranger than usual." Pearl muttered, stepping forward with her nostrils pinched closed. The van smelled of musk, swampy heat, and sour sweat.

"He couldn't stop coughing, so he took some of this." Garnet held up a tiny bottle filled with a gooey, violet liquid.

"Smells like death." Amethyst chuckled, before snapping the lid off and taking a tiny sip. "Duuuude, smells like a good party."

"Don't drink it Amethyst!" Pearl gasped, snatching away the bottle and reading the tiny script on the label. "It says that this can cause liver failure."

"How much did he drink Garnet?" Rose asked worriedly, holding Greg still as he fought her off, his eyes half open and his cheeks flushed.

"Only a little." Garnet shrugged.

"All you need is only a little." Amethyst giggled, eyeing the bottle with a devious grin.

"Gitoffme." Greg grumbled, weakly swaying in Rose's arms. "I-It's just a dumb cold. I-I-I can sleep it off."

"Not out here you won't." Rose said sternly. "That storm's preparing to sit here for the rest of tonight and on until lunchtime tomorrow. If you don't freeze then your fever will burn you alive."

"I'm sure Vidalia won't mind-." Amethyst began.

"He's not staying with her. He's staying in my room with me." Rose whispered, pulling a few things from the van before lifting a delirious Greg into her arms and out of the van.

"What!" Pearl exclaimed, nearly dropping the medicine bottle in shock. "Bring him into the temple? Why?"

"Well, he can't stay out here can he?" Rose said, slamming the doors closed before setting off towards the temple.

"Can't he? Garnet?" Pearl turned to Garnet, who stood still a moment before shaking her head and matching Rose's long strides.

"She's not going to listen Pearl." Garnet whispered, scooping up Amethyst. "Her mind is set. All we can do is let her do her job, and heal the sick."

"But, she's never let _any_ of the others humans into the temple before and _especially_ not in _her_ room!"

"There's a first time for everything, Pearl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a surprisingly long time and I'm still not happy with it. I feel like something's missing-Rose is rather hard to write. I wish we knew more about her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg isn't wearing any pants. Rose doesn't seem to mind. (not what you think)

He can hear Peggy - which is strange because Peggy's been gone for a very, very long time. Her lovely voice a constant companion of his boyhood had been silent since before he had turned 10.

She's washing dishes, wearing a bold dress for the ages and waggling her hips to a song on the radio he can just barely remember the lyrics to. Sometimes he's on the cool linoleum floor, his pudgy fingers tracing the diamonds carved into the floor and other times he's in her arms - her embrace an inferno like a sweltering summers' day. There are times when he can clearly hear her voice, warm and strong in his ear as his brain burns and other times she's left him all alone again and he's so lonely he wishes he would die.

He's released from her arms abruptly, the blurry darkness fading away until he can feel all of his limbs again and his eyes are burning from a light.

Immediately he knows he's not in the van, because the van's has never _ever_ smelled this good and because he's actually warm. A kind warmth settles happily from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. When he tries to move, he can hear something jingle quietly and suddenly the blinding brightness has increased tenfold. He groaned hoarsely as he sat up, the strange fluffy material under him rising with him.

His eyes are dry and everything is fuzzy, but he knows for a fact that everything is extremely pink. He sat up further, hunching over his lap as he gasped for air. He's not wearing any pants, he's wearing the shirt he gave Rose and someone has painted his toenails…with…purple permanent marker?

He groaned heavily, rubbing his damp hands across his parched eyes then running them through his hair. He froze and brought his hands to his face, his hair smells like strawberries and as he continues running his fingers through it, he's discovering little neon bows and tiny braids.

"What the-?" He wheezed, noticing that his voice is nearly inaudible. Even when he tried to clear his throat, his voice refused to be strong. He slipped his legs off the bed, searching for the purple culprit of his hair and toes when a sudden pressure in his bladder demands his full attention. His toes brush the wispy carpet of clouds and he stood shakily. He can't see the door, but as he turns to look behind him he chuckles weakly at the antique dark pink toilet, sink, and claw-foot tub a few feet away from the bed.

He hobbles toward the toilet and begins to do his business, closing his eyes in relief. Why the heck did it feel like he hadn't gone to the bathroom in days? How long had he been in here? And why couldn't he remember anything - he remembered the bright lights of the drugstore and the toxic sweet syrup coating the back of his throat, curling coldly in the pit of his empty gut. He can remember Rose, her scent wafting over him and clearing the acidy stench of vomit dense in his nostrils. And…and Garnet! He can remember her too, her calm voice guiding him through swirling delusions as the van spins at a sickening speed.

"Greg?"

Greg jumped, accidently spraying the floor as Rose's voice is suddenly right behind him. Her warm hand presses into his shoulder and his face flushes three shades of red.

"Rose! Ah! Don'look! Don't look!" Greg shouts, trying to hide himself while his bladder relentlessly continue.

"It's okay Greg, I've seen male genitalia before." Rose said, continuing to peer over his shoulder. "Did we give you too much water? I was worried you might get dehydrated so we've been giving you ice chips, but maybe we…I gave you too much?"

"Rose, i-i-it's fine. Just please stop staring at my junk!" Greg groaned, his voice breaking pitifully.

"Okay, okay. My apologies, I'll just go sit on the bed and wait." Rose whispered. She glides over the floor with barely a whisper and the bed doesn't make any noise when she sits on it. But Greg knows she's still staring at him and he can't banish the warmth on his cheeks, fidgeting with the back of his shirt to make sure she can't see his butt.

When he finishes, he hurriedly pulls up his boxers, pausing suddenly when he looks closer at the underwear in question. These aren't his boxers.

"Rose, where did my boxers go? Where did my pants go? Where did any of my clothes go?" He asked, yelling wheezily as he washed his hands with the rosy smelling soap.

"Well, you kinda threw up on yourself. That medicine you took really messed with your stomach, so I had to get rid of your shirt. Then you were incredibly sweaty and it was chafing and you were crying - and you stopped when I just went and replaced all the clothing." Rose explained, summoning a fluffy towels from the air and handing it to him as he looked around.

"How long have I been here?" Greg asked, shuffling over to the bed, blushing even harder as Rose mentions him crying. "And where exactly is this? Is it one of those magical gem places where I'm not allowed? Is Pearl about to scold me?"

"Oh this? This is just my room." Rose shrugged nonchalantly, watching him nervously. "I brought you here. There was a storm and I-I couldn't just leave you out there. It's been two and a half days and that storm still hasn't broken."

Well that would make sense. This room is much too pink to be owned by anyone else and definitely too magical to be owned by a normal person.

"This… _this_ -." Greg gesticulates the entirety of the seemingly endless space. "This is your room? In the temple?"

"Yes…" Rose stretches the word out like a piece of taffy, letting it linger in the air, stretched to its farthest reaches.

"So…the bed is yours? And so is all this?" Greg finds himself still standing and though he's uncomfortable with his pantlessness, he refuses to sit next to her. He knows if he does, she'll swallow him alive with showers of kisses and hugs, keening about taking care of him. He almost shudders at the thought.

"A-are you cold?" Shuddered. He visibly shuddered at the thought. He wants to smack his forehead.

"No, I'm good."

There's an awkward silence that neither of them know how to break. Greg wants to do something about it, but he's not wearing pants and Rose has just seen his manhood in its entirety. Rose too wanted to break the silence; she's an excellent conversationalist and has been in all her past relationships -but she's much too nervous to speak now.

"Perhaps, you should sit down?" Rose sounds uncomfortably small, she's fidgeting nervously. She's looking at Greg like he's a wild animal.

Greg wanted to, he really wanted to. He's shaking now, his bones feeling more like jelly than solid material. He falls onto the bed, sighing with relief as his muscles are finally relieved of their strain. He closed his eyes and snorted stuffily.

When she doesn't immediately pounce on top of him, he peeked open an eye. Rose had laid down but still teetered nervously on the edge of the bed. She fiddled with the quilted comforter, puckering her plump lip in a nearly irresistible pout. Even with his fever racing painfully in his temples, he can't help but want to make that terrible expression go away.

"Come here." Greg whispered. He tried sitting up but collapsed back down. "I-I'm cold."

Rose crawls over to him, laying down next to him but doing her best not to actively touch him. She draped an opaque sheet over him, her eyes still dark and latent with something heavy. She stared hard at him, her lip twisting into the prettiest grimace Greg has ever seen. She hesitantly placed on arm on his side, drawing circles along the flat plane of his abdomen.

"Rose-."

"Who's Peggy?" She blurted out, her hand suddenly hot and heavy on his belly. "I-Is she one of the humans you've ever loved?"

"Peggy?" Greg groaned, using her arm to sit up. "When did I-."

"When you were asleep. You started to call her name before your fever broke." Rose mumbled. She captured a lock of his thick hair and began undoing one of his tiny braids.

"Peggy. Peggy Universe." Greg coughed. "Is my mother. She didn't like me calling her mama, told me it felt scary. So I called her Peggy."

Rose sighed deeply, her sweet scented breath washing over his damps skin and eliciting a shiver. She pressed herself further against him and wrapped her arms around his middle, tucking his head under neck.

"You've never talked about your mother. Humans always love talking about their mothers. Good or bad." Rose began to comb his scalp with her nails. She couldn't hold back a grin with a weary moan rose from his chest.

"I-It's complicated. Talking about her isn't exactly something women – even banging alien women like to hear during a date." Greg hoarsely chuckled, nuzzling into Rose's soft skin. "I guess I said her name when I was dreaming. It was like when I was just a little boy; like she was holding me again. I could hear her voice and smell her old perfume. I hadn't realized how much I missed her."

They sat in silence for a moment, Rose doing her best to match the peaceful pace of Greg's breaths.

"D-do you want me to go?" Rose stuttered. "Y-you were very adamant earlier that you could take care of yourself. You were very upset and I-I don't want to-."

While Rose began to ramble nervously, avoiding his eyes as she did so, he couldn't help but smile. He _had_ been pretty averse to being taken care of. He had been taking care of himself since Peggy had just up and left one fateful day when he was eight. His own father had believed that the make of a man meant you had to be tough all the time and never offered Greg the help he needed. Despite doing his best to live his life for himself – leaving his father, his old town behind and abandoning the dream his father had for his education, Greg guessed there were still little bits of his father still ingrained in him.

The last person he had willingly let take care of him had been Peggy and Greg couldn't even remember exactly how many years ago that had been. He loved Rose, more than he wanted to admit. He was frightened of solely depending on her, especially when he was in such an ugly state.

His father had never liked to care for him. Greg had been 'that' kid. The kid who came to school sick, stayed in the infirmary until the very end of the day. The nurse cursing Greg's father out on the phone, threatening to call the nearly nonexistent protective services that existed during the seventies, to: 'come and get his damn son'. Rose's sweet and caring nature was so radically foreign to Greg that he had reacted harshly against it.

A beautiful warm thrill ran through the front of his chest, making is heart flutter much too fast for his fever addled brain to handle. It was hard to make sense of the ramble Rose was still going on about, but with her pristine neck much too close to resist, he leaned in and began to kiss it.

"So I completely understand if y-…you…" Rose's breath hitched as Greg's boiling hot lips pressed into her skin. "G-Gr-Gre- _oh_ -Greg!"

"You really want to take care of me?" Greg asked, nipping at her neck. "Even though I'm all gross and mean? Even though I threw up and cried like a baby? You would still do all that?"

"O-of course." Rose gasped, a pink flush brightening her cheeks and sitting up so that she could properly speak. "We…we're more than friends. You're something I've never had the chance to experience. You've given me a type of love I didn't know humans were capable of giving. You've opened my eyes, Greg. I always thought that I knew the extent of the awesomeness humanity was capable of, but then you came along."

Rose cupped Greg's flaming cheeks and began to kiss every inch of flushed skin with a gentle passion. Greg had to hold her arms to stay anchored to the bed. His very bones were singing and if Rose dared let go, he might fly off into the endless pink sky and burst into flames.

"You are the first human being I've ever let into my sanctuary." Rose whispered.

"The very first?" Greg trembled, his voice was winded as though he had just run a race. His hands began to shudder and his weak grip on Rose's arms began to loosen.

"And the very last. Of this I'm sure." Rose promised, pressing one final kiss to Greg's lips.

Greg gave a breathy, dazed giggle before all the heat under his skin scorched what was left of his strength and his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell against her chest still chuckling sleepily, mumbling under his breath: "I love you, Rose."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished this! It's been forever since I updated this and I finally managed to do it. I'm not sure if I captured the awkward like I wanted to. My headcanon for Greg's backstory is that he didn't have the best childhood. I mean in canon we haven't heard any mention of grandparents - just aunts and uncles who are presumed dead. Anyway I really just wanted them to kiss and for Greg to be embarrassed and his manhood undermined and junk. Nervous Rose is adorable Rose!  
> Sorry for making you wait so long. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.  
> JANUARY 4TH - First Day of Steven Bomb!!

**Author's Note:**

> I love Greg/Rose interactions. Not too many stories with them though. Can't wait until their relationship is further disclosed in the show, I literally can't wait!


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